Invitation to tender

 Tender specifications

 Model service contract

 Contract notice

 ECDC Design guidelines

 Contract award notice

  Additional info

ESCAIDE logo in EPS and JPEG

Question 1:
Could you please clarify where the November 2011 conference is being held?

Answer: In accordance with the rotational policy for the location of ESCAIDE, the 2011 conference will be held in Stockholm, the host city of ECDC. It is anticipated that the successful tenderer will engage with the preliminary booking made at The Stockholm Waterfront conference centre (www.stockholmwaterfront.com).

Question 2:
I have a question regarding the fees, since I would like to prepare a full PCO offer it is not clear if you need cost related to 3rd part services (i.e. catering, AV etc.). We would be able to quote for PCO services however for 3rd part services that exclude inhouse services this is done as a RFP. Would you be so kind to clarify this point for me?

Answer: The tenderer is asked to state a total price without need of mentioning costs of third party services. In addition to this, the tenderer is asked to state a lump sum price for each of the additional optional tasks (see table “Additional Optional Task” on page 37). Additionally, concerning the sections 2.5.4, 2.5.5 for the hotels, the information about prices for hotels should be made available.

Question 3:
Paragraph 2.11.1 of the tender specifications mentions that prices must be submitted using the financial proposal form in Annex VII. Meanwhile, annex VII only proposes a table for the additional optional tasks (5 items) while no table is proposed for all compulsory tasks under this tender (extensively described from page 10 to page 20). Should there be in the tender specifications any price schedule template to fill in by the tenderers? Or should we understand that we are asked to submit one total price for all services needed without presenting a detailed table? Or alternatively, are we free to submit a freely designed detailed table (budget lines, quantities, units, etc.) for this total price, without any template requested from ECDC?

Answer: It is confirmed that just one total price is needed without a detailed table.  This price should exclude only those of the table for the additional optional tasks.

Question 4:
Please send us your ECDC Corporate Design Manual, as well as the Escaide Logo/branding.

Answer: Documents are now available (see link above).

Question 5:
Regarding the Conference venue, ECDC have pre-booked the space, therefore the venue does not send us any information on it. Is it not supposed to be part of the financial proposal?

Answer: ECDC has only requested to hold the specified dates, 6-8 November.  The tenderer are requested to negotiate the use of the conference resources, halls and meeting rooms as they deem fit and to negotiate the overall price.  This is the price they need to consider as part of their offer price.  If the conference centre is unwilling to collaborate for negotiating a price, please contact ECDC.

Question 6:
On 2.6.2.2 is requested two evening receptions, these will take place on the 1st and 3rd of conference ? And the Annual EPIET Award Ceremony on the 2nd Day?

Answer: Two evening receptions should be carried out, firstly the welcome reception after the first day of the conference, secondly the Annual EPIET award ceremony dinner and party which should take place on the last day of the conference.

Question 7:
I would appreciate that the bookings responsible from ECDC  could call to the Waterfront Conference Center, since they are not giving the agencies neither the rental  rates or availability and they only inform that they don´t have those orders from ECDC.

Answer:
The waterfront booking office has been instructed to inform companies of any rental prices for the preliminary booking made by ECDC on 6-8 November in order for correct figures to be included in the offers made to ECDC.  The conference centre has confirmed adherence to this request.

Question 8:
Page 7: The outer envelope must contain 3 inner envelopes, namely, envelopes A, B, C. For envelopes B and C, we have to submit 1 original and 4 copies. As it is not mention for the envelope A, do we have to assume that it is the same: 1 original and 4 copies?

Answer:
For envelope A, just one set of documents without further copies is sufficient.

Question 9:
Page 10, point 2.2.2: it is written: “The tenderer is responsible to plan, prepare, and implement all activities so to allow the Conference to take place in the planned between 3 November and 26 November – the actual 3-day conference dates to be decided by ECDC and in the format proposed in Section F Annex I.” Could you please tell us where we can find the Annex 1 section F?

Answer:
Please refer to ‘Annex X Section A – Proposed Programme’, as there has been a typo from a previous numbering.

Question 10:
Page 24, point 3.2.3: it is written: “Examples of work done in the areas covered by this tender in the past three years;”. Could you please explain us what we are supposed to understand with “areas”? Could you please provide us the clear explanation, the definition?

Answer:
In this context, areas could pertain to the European context and/or be related to public health, health care, medical based subject, including in the public sector.

Question 11:
Page 25, point 3.2.3: it is written: “A presentation of three recent assignments undertaken by the tenderer (Name of clients, amounts, services provided and contract lengths) relevant for the content of this project.” Could you please explain us what we are supposed to understand with “content”? Could you please provide us the clear explanation, the definition?

Answer:
Because the tender is for a public health conference organization in an EU context, information on previous assignments particularly related to such areas would be welcome.

Question 12:
Regarding “2.4.11 Ensure that registered participants are entered into the participants´ database. This web-based database must be accessible to ECDC appointed focal point at all times.” What kind of information would ECDC like to have access to? Would an on-line service page, with excel-lists containing all registered participants’ information, meet your requirement?

Answer:
The information as suggested above meets the requirements of ECDC.

Question 13:
Regarding “2.11.2 All-inclusive prices: prices submitted in response to this tender must be inclusive of all costs involved in the performance of the contract (e.g. to include delivery, supply and installation, maintenance, travel, subsistence, etc). No expenses incurred in the performance of the services will be reimbursed separately by ECDC.” Is it correctly understood that the all-inclusive prices are for the conference provider’s own services, and that costs from third-parties (e.g. costs for conference bags, pens, pamphlets etcetera) will be reimbursed separately by ECDC?

Answer:
The price offer should include all costs, including those from third-parties. Only the optional tasks outlined in the table under Annex VII (page 37), are object of separate payment. Each optional task should be priced including any third-parties costs involved. No additional costs will be paid by ECDC. 

Question 14:
Page 16, point 2.5.4: it is written: “…maximum ceilings indicated in Annex F-IV”. Could you please provide us with the Annex F-IV?

Answer:
Please substitute “within the maximum ceilings indicated in Annnex F-IV” with “within the maximum ceiling of 180 Euro per night (ECDC institutional ceiling for Stockholm hotels)”

Question 15:
Page 26, point 4.1 technical proposal: it is written for the timeliness of service offered: “Tenderers should provide a detailed schedule/calendar for carrying out activities in order to meet the
conference deadline and in line with the basic recommended calendar proposed in section C.3.” Could you please tell us where to find the section C.3?

Answer:
In the above sentence, please replace section C.3 with section 2.2.9.

Question 16:
Regarding the production of the promotion material and the abstract book
a.      There are some specific graphic designs- for example on the cover of the Abstract book there is a special circle passing through the European map. Do we get these special graphics from ECDC?

Answer:
ECDC is able to supply to the successful tenderer, after award, the graphic design content as specified in the Visual and design guidelines annexed to the tender on the web. It is at the discretion of the tender if they wish to use different graphic. These should be cleared by ECDC as indicated in the tender.

b.      The FF Meta Pro – font, which is to be used according to the design book – is this a subject of purchasing by the tenderer / contractor or by ECDC?

Answer:
The tenderer is responsible for the design and production of the printed material, and for the hardware and software costs needed to do that. The tenderer may want to propose different fonts, and this needs to be cleared by ECDC.

c.      Pictures to be purchased or provided by ECDC?

Answer:
As stated in paragraph 2.3.3, the successful tenderer will obtain pictures from ECDC, without cost involved.

d.      The conference powerpoint presentations to be saved on the flash sticks, can be obtained 14 days prior to the congress?

Answer:
As stated in paragraph 2.8.10, USB sticks should contain the final abstract book in electronic format, for distribution to delegates at conference registration. In addition, the sticks may also contain the finalised and authorised presentations from the web based uploading facility that have been submitted some days in advance. However, experience suggest that the vast majority of presentations are amended during the conference, so uploading the majority of finalised power point presentations onto the USB sticks in advance of the conference is unfeasible.

Question 17:
VAT exemption
Regarding the VAT exemption, will this be done through “VAT and Excise Duty Exemption Certificate” or by reimbursing the paid VATs, or what will be the procedure?

Answer:

This will be done through a ‘VAT and Excise Duty Exemption Certificate’ provided to you by ECDC.

Question 18:
Could you please inform us of the estimated budget allocated for the ESCAIDE 2011 Scientific Conference? It would be a very useful piece of information in the preparation of our offer. 

Answer:
It is not feasible to disclose an estimated budget at this phase. The choice has been to rely completely on the tenderers’ budget calculations. The tender is awarded on the basis of the best quality–price ratio, as described in section 4.4.

Question 19:
Invitation to tender: on p.1 two options are mentioned for submitting the tender (registered mail and hand-delivery). Would it be also suitable to use a courier service (such as FedEx, for example) to submit the tender?

Answer:
Yes, such means are feasible as long as the indicate clearly the specific date of posting (also as indicated in section 1.6.1). The submission deadline refers to the last date of posting by the tenderer (not on the date of receipt at ECDC).

Question 20:
Tender specifications: on p. 11, paragraph 2.2.4.1.6 mentions that the tenderer engages with national public health institutes and other bodies relevant to the Conference theme and ECDC mandate and gives information of these links in the tender, with the aim of further developing these networks at an early stage in order to assist in the organisation of ESCAIDE. Could you please clarify what exactly is meant by ‘links’ in the context above? Could you please clarify what exactly is meant by engaging with these bodies?  Is the tenderer expected to call/e-mail national public health institutes and other bodies already at this stage (tender stage)? 

Answer:
The tenderer is invited to indicate how one would engage with such organisations after award. Links are intended to mean that the tenderer has investigated which organisations may be approached, if the contract is awarded.